Seed Health of Chickpea as Influenced by Different Packaging during Storage

Abstract

A storage experiment was conducted to know the influence of cloth, gunny, high density polythene (HDPE), and vacuum packed bags on the seed health of chickpea for 18 months. To investigate, chickpea seeds were packed in all the bags and were kept in ambient conditions. During the storage period, there was a lot of fluctuation in moisture content of the seeds based on the relative humidity in cloth, gunny, and HDPE bags due to the pervious nature of packaging materials whereas, there was no moisture fluctuation in vacuum packed bags due to lower water vapor and oxygen transmission rate and higher thickness of polythene bag used for vacuum package. After 8 months of storage period, there was bruchids infestation to the seeds stored in cloth, gunny, and HDPE bags whereas, no bruchids infestation were seen to vacuum packed bag even after 18 months of storage but germination, root length, shoot length, seedling vigour index, seedling dry weight has reduced and mean germination time, electrical conductivity of seed leachates has increased due to seed aging.  Hence, vacuum packaging technology can be effectively used for storage of chickpea seeds for longer period without any aid of chemicals.